Life-boat



' 2 Shets-Sheet 1. R. D. MAYO. LIFE BOAT (No Mdel.)

` Patented Au W/TNESSES.'

s sheets-sheet 2.

R. D. MAYO.

VLIFE BOAT (No Model.)

No. 565,769. Patented Aug. l1, 1896.

EN@ bfi A TTOHNE YS.

UNiTnD; STATES ROBERT D. MAYO, OF FRANKFORT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF TO` DONALD A. MCLEOD, OF MANISTEF., MICHIGAN.

LIFE-BOAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 565,769, dated August11, 1896.

Application filed July 25, 1895. Serial No. 557,146. (No modelo To @ZZwhom t may concern.-

Beit known that I, ROBERT D'. MAYO, of

Frankfort, in the county of Benzie and State of Michigan, have inventeda new and useful Improvement in Life Boats or Floats, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description. i My inventionrelates to animprovement in life boats or floats, and has for its objectespecially to improve upon the construction shown in the applicationfora patent for a similar device iiled of even date.

Another object of this invention is to provide a life boat or float inwhich the cage or carriage in which the persons are seated or containedwill be unaffected by the movement of the hull, enabling the hull toturn upside down or stand upon either side without car rying the cageout of the perpendicular.

Another object of this invention is to provide a means for supplying airto the livingcompartment of the boat, the supply being unobstructed nomatter in what position the boat may be placed, except when submerged,and whereby when the boat passes below the surface the water willautomatically act to close the air-inlet temporarily, the valve throughthe medium of which the inlet is closed being automatically opened themo-` in which similar characters of reference in-V dicate correspondingparts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved boat." Fig. 2 is a verticallongitudinal section through the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse section onthe line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a similar view on the line 4. i ofFig. 2. -Fig. 5 is a like section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is adetail sectional viewof a partition and ball-bearing supports locatedtherein and adapted as partial supports for the car. Fig. 7 is a detailsectional view of a portion of an inner bulkhead and that portion of anairinlettube which `passes through the bulkhead; and Fig. 8 is a partialside elevation of the upper portion of the air-inlet tube, illustratingthe manner in which the valve is controlled by the action of the water.

In carrying out the invention the hull A of the boat is preferablycircular in cross-section and is tapering at its ends, being pro videdwith a keel 10, which extends upward at its ends to meet a deck-rib 1l,while centrally between the deck-.rib and keel side ribs 12 are formedon the hull, which meet the combined end portions of the aforesaiddeckrib and keel, as shown in Fig. 1. Under this construction no matterthe boat rides upon its top, bottom, or side faces, it will be guided bya keel surface.

Near each end of the boat two bulkheads 13 and 14 are erected, a spaceintervening each pair of bulkheads for the purpose of admitting air, andthis airreceiving chamber 15 is provided with apertures 1G, made in thehull and extending circumferentially thereof. The inner bulkhead 13 ateach end forms at each extremity of the boat an air-tight compartment B,and between the inner bulkheads lei the living-compartmentl O of theboat is contained. W'ithin each of the air-receiving chambers 15 anupright airwsupply pipe 17 is placed, being contained wholly within saidchamber, except that the lower end of each of the air-supply pipes ortubes is carried through an inner bulkhead 1i, as shown best in Figs. 2and 7.

The bulkheads 11i are provided with suitable packing 18 around the elbowportion of the said air-supply pipes in order that water shall not enterthe said living-compartment. Ball-bearings 19 are introduced between theelbow-section of each air-supply pipe and the bulkhead through which itpasses, so that the hull of the boat may turn bottom up or upon its sidewithout affecting the position of either of the said air-supply pipes.The balls are kept in place by lock-nuts 20, screwed upon the inner endsof the air-supply pipes, which are exteriorly threaded. y

A valve 21 is located at the top of each of IOO the air-supply pipes,and the valve is provided with standards 22, extending downward at eachside of the pipe with which it is connected, and thel standards of eachvalve are connected through the medium of stems 24 with floats 23, thestems being pivoted to the said pipes at opposite sides, and the weight0f these iloats will normally keep the valves open. The valves areguided by a central stem 25, (shown in Fig. 3,) and may be operated ifanything should happen to the floats or when they are not brought inaction by means of a chain 26 or its equivalent, attached to the stem ofa valve and carried down through the air-inlet pipe and out at its inneror delivery end, as shown in Fig. 3. If in practice it is founddesirable, but one float 23 may be used in operating the valve.

The living-compartment C is divided, preferably, by one or more skeletonpartitions 27, (shown best in Fig. 4,) a single central one beingillustrated in the drawings. The partition 27 contains an opening at itscenter in which ball-bearings 28 are placed for engagement with a stud29, loosely passed through the aforesaid opening, the balls being`heldin place by a cap or nut 30, as shown in Fig. 6.

In each subcompartment of the living-compartment a car or cage D islocated, comprising a frame 3l, corresponding in general contour to thebottom portion of the hull, and since the hull is preferably circular incrosssection the bottom of the frame is somewhat circular orsegmental.The frame is provided with end sections 32, and the end sections havearms 33 attached to their side portions,

the said arms being made to converge about centrally over thefoot-sections and meet an upright 34. The upright at each end of thecage or car is made in sections connected by an adjusting-sleeve 35 orits equivalent, so that the bottom of the cage or car may be raised orlowered with respect to the bottom of the hull.

Each of the uprights 34 terminates at its upper end in an eye 36, andthese eyes are interiorly threaded in order that the uprights at theouter ends of the car may be screwed upon the inner ends of theair-delivery tubes, while the eyes at the inner ends of the cars arescrewed upon or otherwise secured to the stud or shaft 29, journaled inthe partition 27 The framework of each car or cage is provided with anydesired number of seats 37, conveniently arranged. Thus it will beobserved that, no matter in what direction the hull may be turned, itwill move without affecting the equilibrium of the cars or cages, whichremain pendent, and if they have any motion at all have a slightpendulum one. In order that the cars shall have no end movement,guide-wheels 38 are placed at the ends of the car-frame for engagement,one set with the inner bulkheads and the other set with the partition27. It is also evident that in the event the boat should becomesubmerged for a short while and the y water should therefore enter theair-receiving chambers l5, as shown in Fig, 3, the water would raise thefloats 23 and thereby automatically close the outer ends of theair-conducting tubes.

Suitable hatchways 39 are provided, whereby access may be had to theinterior of the boat, and windows 40 are made in the inner bulkheads,receiving light from the air-receiving chambers l5, and a tube 4l ispassed through each of the air-compartments B in order that a drogueline 42 may be attached to the vessel to keep its head to the sea.

This vessel is exceedingly simple and durable. It is economic in itsconstruction, and will afford a comfortable and safe means of travel inthe event of disaster at sea.

Having thus described my invention,I yclaim as new as far as completedl.In a life boat or iioat, a hull circular in cross-section and providedwith a keel and a deck-rib and side ribs connected with each other andwith the` keel, and a cage or car pivoted within the said hull, wherebythe said cage or'car will remain in substantially perpendicular positionbelow its axis no matter in what direction the hull may roll, andwhereby also the hull will have a keel surface as a guide theretowhether it floats on its top, bottom yor side faces, substantially asshown and described.

2. In a life boat or float, a hull provided with a livin gcompartment,air-compartments at its ends, and an air-supply compartment between theliving and air compartments, communicating with theoutside atmosphere,and air-inlet tubes located in the air-receiving compartments andleading into the livingcompartment, the hull being adapted to revolvearound said tubes, as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a life boat or iioat, a hull provided with a livin g-compartment,air-compartments at its ends, and an air-supply compartment between theliving and air compartments, communicating with the exterior atmosphere,air-inlet tubes located in the air-receiving compartments and leadinginto the livingcompartment, the hull being adapted to revolve aroundsaid tubes, and a car or cage having a pendulum suspension from theinner ends of the said air-inlet tubes, as and for the purpose setforth.

4. In a life boat or float, the combination, with a hull provided with aliving-compart ment, sealed air-compartments at its ends, and anair-receiving compartment between each sealed compartment andliving-compartment, the air-receiving compartments being providedwithopenings extending out through the hull and practically around the same,airsupply tubes located in the air-receiving compartments, being passedthrough the bulkheads thereof into the living-compartment, the hullbeing capable of revolving around the inner portions of said tubes, andvalves operated by the action of the water, located IOO IIO

in the said air-receiving compartments and adapted to close or to opentheVair-supply pipes, as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a life boat or float, the combination, with a hull provided with aliving-compartment, sealed air-compartments at its ends,

and an air-receiving compartment between each sealed compartmentandliving-compartment, the air-receiving compartments being providedwithopenings extending out through the hull and practically around the same,airsupply tubes located in the air-receiving compartments, being passedthrough the bull;- heads thereof into the living-compartment, the hullbeing capable of revolving around the inner portions of the said tubes,valves operated by the action of the water, located in the saidVair-receiving compartments and adapted to close or to open the saidair-supply pipes, -and a cage or car pendent from and pivotallyconnected with the inner walls of the said living-compartment,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a life boat or float, the combination, with a hull provided with aliving-compartment, sealed aircompartments at its ends, and anair-receiving compartment between each sealed compartment andliving-compartment, the air-receiving compartments being provided withop enin gs extending out through the hull and practically around thesame, airsupply tubes located in the air-receiving compartments, beingpassed through the bulkheads thereof into the living-compartment,

the hull being capable of revolving around the inner portions of saidtubes, valves 0perated by the action of the water, located in the saidair receiving compartments and adapted to close or open the air-supplypipes, a cage or car pendent from and pivotally connected with the innerwalls of the said livingcompartment, guides attached to the car or cage,and ball-bearin gs located at the junction of the support of the car orcage with the supports provided for them in the interior of the hull, asand for the purpose specified.

7. A marine vessel of circular shape in cross-section and having conicalends, akeel, a declerib and side ribs, the said deck and side ribsextending longitudinally of the hull and all of them being connected attheir ends with the end portions of the said keel, as and for thepurpose specified.

8. A marine vessel, consisting of a hull having two bulkheads thereinforming a chamber having atmospheric communication,

a cage pivotally suspended within the hull 'ROBERT D. MAYO.

Witnesses:

FRED ACKER, C. SEDGWICK.

